Minneapolite

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Last Friday the BF and I got together with another couple and went to McCormick and Schmick's in downtown Minneapolis. Never having been there before, I thought it would be fun to do a review. Although, I'm not sure how much "fun" the review will be.

First of all we had TERRIBLE service. Our waiter stopped by our table right after we sat down and asked if we were ready to order (we weren't) and so we asked him to stop by a few minutes later. We interrupted our polite pre-dinner conversation to hastily look over our menus, which honestly disappointed me as well, and then he didn't return to take our order for at least 15 minutes.

Finally when he returned (with our drinks) he still had yet to bring us any bread- we had to ask three times for before finally receiving a basket.

Once the food came it was a lovely dinner (I had delicious crab cakes), but then he forgot to bring another glass of wine for my friend. And then charged her for it on the bill.

Friday night was truly a testament to how bad service can ruin a meal at an upscale restaurant with fun company. Everything I had heard about M&C's pointed to great time, so it's sad the waiter ruined our excitement. Part of me thinks I should give it a second chance, the other half thinks I should take my $50 elsewhere. Anyone else have good or bad experiences there?

P.S. I did sneak away to the bathrooms after the meal. Small, but clean and private. B+ :)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Alright, to the two of you that are still reading (if there ever even were two of you) I apologize. The end of summer got a little crazy, followed by an even crazier start of fall. Not anything worth noting, just life (you know, that thing outside of the internet. Crazy I know.).

But I am back, the hiatus is over, and I am going to try my darndest to post every day (or at least regularly). So PLEASE add me back to your daily blog-reading routine. I hope not to disappoint.

Today's post is short (I have to ease myself back into this y'all), but I did want to mention one thing:

The easiest way to ruin an outfit? Wearing a ponytail holder on your wrist.

Seriously girls, I have seen some adorable outfits absolutely destroyed these last few weeks. I know it's handy to be able to put up your hair at a moments notice, but please, use a pocket or a purse to keep your hair ties. They are not bracelets, are not chic, and are definitely not classy. FYI.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

As alluded to on Twitter and in a previous blog, next week I will attend the PGA Championship golf tournament at Hazeltine in Chaska. I golf a little bit (BF bought me my own clubs for my birthday!), but I have never been to a golf tournament. I bought tickets almost a year ago to give to BF as an anniversary present because I know how much he adores golf (another testament to my superior girlfriend abilities), and now I’m very excited to go! Only one small problem: Attire. I asked BF what he thought I should wear, to which he replied, “I don’t know, whatever you wear to go golfing.” Helpful.

While I do golf, some, I haven’t quite reached the level where I will spend money on golf shirts or shorts. Normally, when I go golfing, I wear some version of a t-shirt and khaki pants (or even… gasp… jeans), which is definitely not something I want to be wearing when I take my picture with Tiger Woods (Oh yes, that is my mission).

So this week I have been on the hunt for the perfect golf outfits. I needed to find something cute for Monday- the first practice round- where picture-taking and autograph-getting is allowed, and then something sophisticated and classy for Sunday- the final day of the Championship round- where no pictures or autographs, or even CELL PHONES, are ok. Sunday is also a good day to look pristine, as out of the two days BF and I are going it is the one that we are most likely to run into people we know, such as co-workers, bosses, business associates, or networking contacts.

I thought, two days, not so bad. I’ve shopped for full weeks of events before with no problem. Little did I know, “Golf” has a very particular look, with added restrictions of no heels (not only will they stick in the grass, they also make it hard to chase Tiger down the 15th fairway waving a camera, he, he), no flip-flops (My feetsies need some support for the long walks), layers necessary for this most unusual Minnesota summer, and lightweight/portable (once again, a hefty handbag won’t help me get my hands on Mr. Woods). After two days of scouring, buying, returning, and speeding down Highway 100 to get the last one of the perfect cross-body bag, I’m exhausted. May I now present, my wardrobe for the 2009 PGA Championship.

Monday:

I picked up this beauty of a dress at Banana Republic. I decided in order to only have to buy one set of accessories; my color theme for the week would be navy. This fit the bill to a T. Lightweight, with the ability to keep me warm while still letting air flow, and most importantly, totally chic and classic. Tiger Woods will be asking ME to take a picture with him.

Sunday:

This was the real trick. How do you look sophisticated while maintaining a summery, flowy, classy look that will let you move? How do you look sophisticated without wearing heels?!

I was lucky to run across this picture of a style idol of mine, Olivia Palermo, for inspiration. Here she is shooting for The City:

I immediately adored the Topshop cardigan, and then decided I might as well re-create the whole look. I already have the Ray-Ban sunnies (a classic I would have worn anyway), but it was up to me to find the shirt, necktie, and shorts. Luckily, Topshop still had the cardigan in my size.While in Banana, I took a look at some of their white dress t-shirts. They had a few promising options, but all of the women’s shirts were so heavily pleated around the chest and waist that I couldn’t achieve the flowy look Olivia’s blouse has. The whole time I was in the dressing room I was wishing they could just make women’s shirts like men’s, with no pleating or fittings. Then I had an epiphany: Banana Republic sells men’s shirts too! I headed over to the men’s side, and found the perfect white dress tee. Sure the salespeople gave me some weird looks, but it was worth it.

The navy shorts were the hardest to find. No one seemed to have any, until finally, on a whim, I headed into Old Navy- a store I haven’t shopped at in 10 years. Good thing too, these are perfect:A quick search on Etsy discovered the perfect navy necktie, made by NadineNewYork:Accessories:

As I said before, I wanted to wear the same shoes/purse both days. I also wanted to create an interesting twist on each outfit, so I decided on red accessories! A pop or two of red is so on trend right now. Here is what I came up with:

I knew this cross-body bag from Dooney was perfect the moment I saw it. Big enough to carry a camera, cell phone, and other essentials for Monday, but not so big I will look like an idiot carrying a huge tote with nothing in it Sunday. Also, cross-body means I don’t have to “carry” it all day.Loafers by Franco Sarto. On sale. Keep my feet from getting dirty. Have an arch for some support. Perfect.

What does everyone think? Is anyone else going to the tournament? If so, what are you wearing? And if you are, maybe you will spot me! (Hopefully in the clubhouse sitting next to Tiger ☺ )

Today Vanity Fair put their September issue feature of Mad Men online, along with a fabulous photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz.

The shots, taken in the Bahamas, show a beach-ier side of Don and Betty, but that doesn't make them any more casual, relaxed, or less intense. I am fascinated by the sets and styling because of the way the hard, fast-paced, dramatic life of the Drapers in NYC transfers to such a calm, serene setting. I think it does a good job of encapsulating the show- a perfect, lovely exterior, but steely and cold as ice on the inside. Check it out, along with a fabulous piece by Bruce Handy, here.

As a side note, I can't wait for the Season 3 premiere on August 16! Hopefully the PGA Championship will end soon enough for me to hurry home and catch it!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Last night was an unexpected really fun night. After doing laundry all day, BF and I decided to go grab dinner at Bar Abilene in Uptown. While walking to the restaurant, we spotted one of BF’s good friends and co-workers out on his balcony, less than a block from Abilene. BF called him just to say we saw him, but then he invited us up to cook dinner with him and his girlfriend, as well as watch some HBO. We agreed.

After an extensive (and expensive) shopping trip to Lunds, and a stop by Rainbow to grab a special stir-fry bowl, we were ready to cook. I was in charge of peeling the carrots, which proved to be harder than I thought minus a peeler. A glass of wine and some sautéing later, we were enjoying really tasty home cooked stir fry, followed by brownies and ice cream.

Midway through the meal, both of BF’s friend’s roommate showed up, also friends of ours. While they didn’t eat, we all chilled on the couches and watched Entourage. Almost like a little family. And a nice break from the usual raucous drunk times we normally have with this group of friends. It almost made me miss my roommates, almost.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Today I'm feeling a little frustrated and depressed, so for some fun and chill-time I surfed around on the Tiffany's website. It felt very Audrey Hepburn (except it was lunch, and online), and the movie really is correct- Tiffany's will always make you feel better.

I am loving the new key pendant collection and want to pick one out. However, Tiffany's is always better served as a gift, so maybe I will just drop a few hints to BF. Our two-year-anniversary is on its way. Pray to God he doesn't try to turn it into some cheesy "key to my heart" present. Gag me.

And of course, I played around with the engagement rings. Someday, one of those babies will be mine! (Preferably a 1.5 carat, princess cut set in platinum baby.)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I promise not to become one of those bloggers that spends all their time posting pictures of handmade goods- but it's true, I have fallen for Etsy.com.

I've known about the site for some time, and visited here and there for a quick look, but yesterday I fell in. I decided to see if anyone had any quality black leather totes (not much luck), which led to three hours looking at headbands, two hours looking at necklaces, and another hour perusing the vintage section. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Club Hoppers

Bennies

Disclaimer

To give credit where it's due, my header photo was taken by photographer Steve Lyon. My profile picture comes from Joe's Jeans. Any other photographs on this blog are most likely not mine, and will be credited in the posts in which they are used. If anyone should have a problem with my use of their work, please contact me and I will be happy to remove what is rightfully theirs. This is a personal blog with personal opinions, and is not for commercial use. Anonymous comments will be blocked, and particularly nasty comments about myself, or any nasty comments about others, will be deleted at my discretion. All people mentioned in my blog are either nicknamed or their names have been changed.